Only Skin Deep
by TProx
Summary: I changed the title, used to be When Good Ladies Go Bad: Delia's Story. Let's see, Delia wasn't always evil... Nothing bad happened in her childhood, and she was a good girl but then she met Duke Roger. dun dun dun!
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I don't own anything but an imagination and a computer. And Linni.

_"My advice to you is this. Strive to get them _all_. Then choose the one you want." Madame's words echoed through Delia's head as she studied the men surrounding her. She smiled flirtatiously. She _would_ have them all, but she only wanted one. _

"So tell me, Squire Alan," Delia purred. "Why do you hate parties so?" As the two turned the corner, Delia watched her reluctant escort blush.

"I don't hate them, Lady Delia," Alan mumbled. "But I'd rather be working, or practicing, or," he hesitated, "healing."

"Well," Delia replied, keeping the disappointment at his answer out of her face and voice. "I can't blame you for that! I was afraid that you felt left out by your friends. You seem to have a bit more trouble with women." Delia kicked herself mentally for the slip. "Not that you're bad at dancing." She gave him a smile and a bat of her eyelashes. Alan's blush grew.

"Here we are, Milady," he said, stopping in front of her rooms.

"Thank you very much, Squire Alan."

"My pleasure." Alan was practically running away from her. Delia frowned. Out of all the men at court, he was proving the most difficult. Well, almost the most difficult. Delia walked past her rooms to a door down the hall.

"Linni! Linni, I need to speak with you!" she called. The door flew open and a woman with brown hair and wide brown eyes glared at Delia.

"It's late!" Linni snapped. "I was about to go to bed!"

"I need to talk with you," Delia answered, storming into the room. She threw herself onto her friend's bed and pouted.

"What's wrong?" Linni asked, closing the door.

"What am I doing wrong?" Delia snapped. "Everyone else is devoted to me. But the one I want, no. Nothing! He doesn't even _look_ at me!"

"He looks plenty when you can't see him," Linni answered, knowing immediately what Delia was talking about. "He's just playing games. You'll have him soon. Besides, he's not the only one not interested in you."

Delia glared at her friend.

"I wasn't including the married ones, Lin."

"Nor was I," Linni said calmly. "I was talking about Squire Alan."

"Oh, yes. I just left him, how could I forget?" Delia asked, falling back onto the pillows.

"You're too caught up with the Duke," Linni warned. "He's too old for you anyway."

"How old is too old?" Delia asked, sitting up again.

"You're impossible." Linni snapped. "He's trouble."

"I like trouble!" Delia protested weakly. "It's so much more fun than playing by the rules."

"All may be fair in love and war," Linni answered. "But not in real life."

"Love and war are in real life," Delia grinned.

"And they are the only exceptions."

"What?"

"You should have paid more attention to philosophy class," Linni scolded. "instead of spending all your time studying for etiquette. You always lose."

"And yet I keep trying," Delia pointed out. "Doesn't that count for something?"

"Apply that drive to the sorcerer duke, and he'll be yours in a month," Linni advised. "If you truly want him."

"Oh, think on it, Linni!" Delia said; her normally cold eyes lit up with excitement. "Five years from now, you'll burst into your husband's study. He'll look up and ask if you're alright. You'll grin and say, 'Of course I'm alright! Delia and Roger are coming for dinner!'"

"Delia!" Linni said laughing. "Why am I the only one that sees this side of you?"

"Because, I only show it to those who deserve it," Delia said, walking towards the door. "And no one but you has earned it yet."

"You know you should be concentrating on the Prince, not his cousin," Linni said, switching subjects rapidly. Delia smiled, used to her friend's conversations.

"I'll make the Prince mine. Still, if I am able to marry Roger, I suspect the Prince will be heart-broken to learn he was just number two in my eyes."

"He'll live."

"Yes, he'll marry some princess."

"Good night Delia."

"Good night Linni."

The next morning, Delia took great care choosing what to wear. She stared into the mirror, checking her final choice one last time, a low-cut dark green dress that always worked on the young squires at parties. _And it brings out my eyes,_ Delia thought.

"Today I'm going to get him," she told herself. "I'll put poor Alan on hold and focus all my energy on my elusive Duke."

"_Your _elusive Duke?" a voice asked from the doorway. Delia whirled around, placing her hands over her heart.

"Linni!" she snapped. "You scared me!"

"Sorry," Linni leaned against the door frame. "You shouldn't play with people like this."

"Like what?" Delia asked, turning back to the mirror. She played with her hair a bit.

"Putting men on hold, decided to just focus on one today," Linni answered. Delia glanced at her friend, a little surprised.

"How long were you standing there?" she asked tightly.

"Long enough."

"That's not a good answer Linni!" Delia walked over to the door and pulled Linni inside. She slammed the door shut and glared at her friend. "And why are you going all noble on me _now_?" she demanded.

"It just hit me last night. You listened way too much to Madame."

"Why shouldn't I have? She's a brilliant woman who knows how to get what she wants."

"Does she?" Linni asked. "Think about it Delia. She's in her what, late forties?" Delia nodded. "She's in her late forties, teaching younger women how to get ahead in life. Yet she's never been married, spent twelve long years at court before she gave up and went back to the convent." Delia blinked.

"She spent twelve years at court," Delia echoed, her jaw trembling. "Twelve years. That's a lot of experience."

"Then why isn't she married?" Linni asked. Delia looked up when she heard the tremor in Linni's voice, surprised to see tears swimming in those familiar eyes. "Why isn't she ahead?"

"No one was good enough for her!" Delia shrieked. "Get out Linni!"

"I just don't want to see you hurt!" Linni protested. "I just don't want to see you alone and unhappy!"

"I won't be!" Delia snapped. She held the door open. "Leave."

As soon as Linni was gone, Delia went back to the mirror. Her hands were shaking as she went over her appearance again. Satisfied, she left her rooms. Today was crucial to her plan. And stage one was finding Duke Roger.


	2. Chapter 2

"Oh, I'm sorry!" Delia cried, looking up at the man she just bumped into. Her heart quivered as she recognized the brownish-black hair and dark blue eyes. "Your Grace," she added with a curtsy. The man grinned.

"Please Milady," he said. She smiled at him. "Call me Duke Roger. Your Grace makes me sound so old!"

"Then you must call me Lady Delia," Delia replied. She offered a hand to the Duke, who kissed it. "Duke Roger."

"Why haven't I seen you before?" Duke Roger asked casually. Delia's mind raced in confusion.

'Linni said he watched me when I wasn't watching _him_,' she thought. 'Why is he acting like he doesn't know me?' To the Duke she shrugged.

"Do you attend the parties Their Majesties throw?" she asked, years of practice making her voice light.

"Not unless I have to, no," the Duke answered. "I find that I can't get away from my work long enough to bother with the parties.

"Then that's why you haven't seen me around," Delia said. She stopped herself from wincing. "I spend most of my time at parties and gatherings. Though I suspect you're busy…"

"I was busy before I realized what beauties the court had to offer," Roger answered, leaning forward. "Now I have a reason to attend." Delia let a soft smile appear on her lips.

"Well, I have all the more reason to look forward to them."

"You don't enjoy parties?" Roger asked. "I had the impression that you live at them."

"Not quite," Delia answered truthfully. "I do enjoy them, but sometimes I get tired of all the dancing. The men are Dears, but few of them know how to hold a conversation past 'That's a nice dress.'"

"Well then," Roger answered. "I shall have to rescue you." A bell toll rang through the hallway. Roger sighed. "I'm sorry, Lady Delia. I have to go, my class for the pages is about to start. But rest assured, I'll be back."

"Thank the gods," Delia murmured. But Duke Roger was too far down the hall to hear.

That night at dinner, Delia thanked the page who brought the small bowl to wash her hands in. Linni bit her lip as the page left.

"Delia…" she pleaded. Delia turned her head icily.

"I don't want to talk about it, Linal," she snapped.

"Oh, I get it," Linni muttered, turning her head away. "Whenever I misbehave, it's up to you to teach me a lesson. You snub me, call me by my full name, ignore me…"

"Oh look," Delia remarked. "Their majesties' dinner partner, the Naxens it appears to be, are moving to another table." She looked at the woman sitting next to her. "Jina, would you like to go see how the men are doing?" With an apologetic glance toward Linni, Jina nodded. Delia stood, sweeping her skirts around gracefully. Jina did the same, and they walked off in search of entertainment. As if by a hidden signal, the musicians started to play, and the two nobles were immediately engaged in dancing.

Delia danced across the ballroom floor, laughing at what her current partner said. Her mind whirled as fast as she danced, she causally glanced around her. Duke Roger was engaged in a conversation with the Prince. Jonathan seemed to be having trouble concentrating on his cousin though; he regularly glanced over at Delia.

Delia forced herself to listen to her partner, just in time to answer his question about his friend.

"Of course I'll dance with him!" she said laughing. Just then, the dance ended. "But only if _he_ asks me." Delia swept past the young knight, waiting for her next partner. Her path brought her close enough to the Jonathan and Roger so that she could eavesdrop.

"If you'll excuse me, Cousin," Duke Roger said. "I'd like to try my hand with the ladies, to see if I haven't lost my touch." Seizing her chance, Delia walked closer to the table.

"I'd be happy to help you with that Your Grace," she said with a curtsy, purposefully using his title. "This next dance is a simple one."

"Why thank you, Lady Delia," Roger said with a laugh. "It would be an honor."

Savoring Jonathan's expression, Delia let Roger lead her onto the dance floor. For her plan to work this would be the first and last time she and Roger danced in public, at least as unmarried nobles. She was going to enjoy every second of it.

After the party, Delia's first instinct was to run to Linni's rooms and talk about Roger. She bit her lip and held herself back, thanking the squire who had escorted her tonight. Alan had not been present at the party. The squire continued to babble at her, and Delia suddenly remembered the reason she liked to have Alan escorting her. Besides the fact that he was a challenge.

It took a tactful answer and a delicate yawn to make the squire leave. Delia opened her door, fully ready to shuck her stiff clothes and fall asleep.

"Opi!" she called to her maid. She saw a figure on the bed and laughed. "What are you-" Delia froze, suddenly recognizing the woman on her bed. "Linni!" she cried.

"I'm sorry Delia, but I have to talk to you." Linni stood up quickly. Opi walked into the room from a side door.

"Milady," she said, curtsying.

"I'll need you to assist me in a moment, Opi," Delia said, staring at Linni. "But for now, please return to your room.

"As Milady wishes," Opi replied, doing as she was told.

"What are you doing here Linni?" Delia demanded.

"I wanted to apologize for what I said earlier," Linni answered, shifting uncomfortably. "It was wrong of me. Madame taught us well, and you were right to listen to her. I was just feeling upset, because I was snubbed earlier by Lady Kinn. I felt Madame should have taught us how do deal with women as well as men."

"She did," Delia replied stiffly. She still wasn't ready to talk with Linni again. "You were just too busy reading during etiquette class!"

"I've had enough of this, Delia!" Linni yelled. Delia stared at her normally even-tempered friend. "You're always the boss! You're always better then me! My interests, helping people, learning, mean nothing compared to yours! Hurting people, flirting! Well mark my words, Delia! I'm going to live happily ever after, and you? You're going to end up alone and miserable! Because all the men who are wrapped up in you now are going to see right through you later!" With that, Linni stormed out of the room, her skirts flying. Delia stared at her as the door slammed, and blinked back unexpected tears.

"Opi!" Delia called. It took all of her remaining energy not to let her voice crack. When Opi came to the door, Delia lifted her chin. "Help me get out of this thing."

As soon as Opi was gone, Delia fell onto the bed and pulled the blankets over her head. It wasn't fair that Linni would ruin the one night Delia got to dance with Roger. And now her one, true friendship was over. Roger was all she had.


End file.
